Display support device

ABSTRACT

A support for a form in the shape of a human body portion for displaying a garment has a clamp for embracing a portion of the form to hold it erect. The clamp has a downwardly projecting dovetail flange. A pedestal, secured to a flat base, has a complementary dovetail groove in its upper surface which is slanted at a large angle to the horizontal. The flange and groove are each similarly tapered from a wide upper end to a narrower lower end so that the clamp and pedestal can be locked together by sliding the flange into the groove.

United States Patent 1,258,460 3/1918 Rees Frank P. uewm 223/75, 66, 120; /56, 57; 248/223, 224, 354 (sloping surface); /126 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,887,652 11/1932 Loney 223/ 2,145,921 2/1939 Dewitt 223/ 2,732,159 1/1956 Connors et al.. 248/224 2,769,262 11/1956 Gordon 223/75X 3,279,736 10/1966 Vogt 248/224X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,352,534 1/1964 France 248/223 Primary Examiner-Patrick D. Lawson Assistant Examiner-George H. Krizmanich Attorney-Bruns and Jenney ABSTRACT: A support for a form in the shape of a human body portion for displaying a garment has a clamp for embracing a portion of the form to hold it erect. The clamp has a downwardly projecting dovetail flange. A pedestal, secured to a flat base, has a complementary dovetail groove in its upper surface which is slanted at a large angle to the horizontal. The

,fiange and groove are each similarly tapered from a wide upper end to a narrower lower end so that the clamp and pedestal can be locked together by sliding the flange into the groove.

INVENTOR. FRANK P. DE WITT DISPLAY SUPPORT DEVICE BACKGROUND OF TFIEINVENTION This invention relates to a support device for hosiery display forms and more particularly to means for releasably and quickly securing together the parts thereof.

Hosiery is displayed on hollow molded forms in the shape of a foot and a portion of the leg. For women's stockings, a form with the leg portion extending anywhere from above the ankle to above the knee is required and it is desirable to display the clothed form upright with the me down. Since the stocking is on the form, means have heretofore been devised to support the form by means of a simple socket or clamp member into which the tapered toe portion of the form fits.

Since the toe end of the form projects down through the encircling clamp, the clamp is held above a flat base by a pedestal. The pedestal and clamp must be small and inconspicuous and, so as to show the color of the stocking, are usually made of clear plastic. Pedestaland clamp, being sa small as compared to the form, are .difficult to secure together efficiently without employing conventional fasteners which are expensive and time consuming to use.

SUMMARY or THE INVENTION the weight of the form.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a clothed form and its support structure embodying the invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are side elevationaland plan views, respectively, of the support structure of FIG. I;

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are plan, side e'levational and bottom plan views,-respectively, of the pedestal member of the support; and y I FIGS. 7 and 8 are views of the clamp member of the support as viewed in the direction of the arrows 7-'- 7 and 8-8 of FIG. 2, respectively, a modified form of clamp being indicated by broken lines. In FIG. 7. i

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIG. I the support device 10 is shown supporting a stocking form 11 and comprises a clamp member 12, a pedestal member 13 and a flat base 14 of wood or plastic having a base area sufficient to firmly support the form 11.

The pedestal 13, best seen in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, is round and hollow with comparatively thin sidewalls and has a pendant central hollow pillar l5 therewithin whose bottom has a threaded hole at 16 for engagementwith a screw 17 for securing it to the base. The base 14 is countersunk at its center, as shown in FIG. 2, for containing the head of screw 17. The top of pedestal 13 is solid and comparatively thick and has a dovetail groove 18 thereacross. Its top surface and the groove are slanted at such an angle to the horizontal as to hold the leg form in an upright position. The pillar portion 25 projects down from the bottom of the groove.

The clamp member 12, best seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, has a dovetail flange 19 projecting downward from its bottom surface. Flange 19 is complementary to the groove 18 and at the form 11. At the sides of the clamp 12, the strap portions 20 curve sharply upward and then curvetoward one another so as to conform o t e shape of the top of the toe portion of form 11 at the ball of the foot where the toe portion is at its widest. The strap portions 20 embrace the toe portion of form 11 almost completely and their inner surface is tapered to conform to the taper of the form from the ball of the foot toward the ends of the toes, as shown. The strap portion may also be made in one continuous, unbroken loop as indicated by broken lines in FIG. 7. 1

Both groove 18 and flange 19 have sides which have a draft inward from bottom to top on the order of 5 to form the dovetail. Both are also tapered from a comparatively wide upper end to a comparatively narrow lower end, the sides of groove and flange extended meeting at an angle of the order of 10. Groove 18 and flange 19 are proportioned so as to come into engagement at the upper end of the groove, as shown.

When assembling the support device 10, the single screw 17 is quickly installed. to secure pedestal 13 to the base 14. The clamp 12 is then quickly and easily secured to pedestal 13 by sliding the flange 19 down in groove 18 to lock the two members together. When form 11 isplaced within the encircling strap portions 20 of the clamp, its weight locks the two members in place more securely.

The clamp member 12 and pedestal member 13 are preferably molded of a clear and transparent plastic material such as methyl methacrylate, acetate butyrate, styrene or other thermoplastic material so that the color of the hosiery on the form may be seen through the strap portions 20.

, Groove 18 and flange 19 are concealed by the clothed form and the two members appear to be a single unit. No screws or other fasteners are required to lock the two members together, saving expensive hand operations in assembly and eliminating the possiblity of stripped threads or other failures in the means securing the members together. The members being molded, the means for securing them together are integrally molded, keeping costs to a minimum for this display item.

It will be apparent that modifications may be made in the structure of the two interlocking members. For instance, the

groove may be formed in the bottom of the clamp member and the flange formed projecting upward from the pedestal member, groove and flange being tapered from a comparatively narrow upper end to a comparatively wide lower end.

As will be apparent to those familianwith the art, the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristic thereof. The embodiment disclosed is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative rather than restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claim.

Iclaim:

1. Support means for a form duplicating the foot and a portion of the leg with heel elevated of a standing human for displaying hosiery, comprising: a flat base, a pedestal member adapted to be narrower than the toe of the form secured to and projecting upward from the base, and a clamp member above the pedestal and having sidewardly and upwardly projecting portions for substantially encircling the downwardly tapering toe end of the form with hose thereon, the members being formed of transparent synthetic resinous material and having abutting and cooperating surfaces, one member having a dovetail flange projecting from its cooperating surface and i the cooperating surface of the other member having a top of the flange two strap portions 20 project on either side of the flange. The strap portions 20 are comparatively flat at the bottom of the clamp 12, conforming to the sole portion of 

1. Support means for a form duplicating the foot and a portion of the leg with heel elevated of a standing human for displaying hosiery, comprising: a flat base, a pedestal member adapted to be narrower than the toe of the form secured to and projecting upward from the base, and a clamp member above the pedestal and having sidewardly and upwardly projecting portions for substantially encircling the downwardly tapering toe end of the form with hose thereon, the members being formed of transparent synthetic resinous material and having abutting and cooperating surfaces, one member having a dovetail flange projecting from its cooperating surface and the cooperating surface of the other member having a cooperating dovetail groove therein, the cooperating surfaces being inclined at an acute angle relative to said flat base, the groove and the flange each being tapered converging downwardly in the direction of the inclination and having inclined interlocking edges, whereby the clamp member is quickly and releasably locked to the pedestal member when assembled by sliding the flange in the groove and the groove and flange are substantially concealed by the projecting portions of the clamp member and form thereon. 